Alma record. (Alma, Mich.) 1878-1928, 1887-04-01
hick woods again. found a bow from


down TO prove a struggle. 1t was one
which must have lasted for some time
and been iiercely contested, and | had
no sooner looked over the ground than
l knew that Jennie's dead body would
be found somewhere in the woods. AS
to the locality. soon found broken
twigs-a bit OF dress on bush---heavy
footprints in the rich soil. and other
plain evidence of her being dragged or
carried along through the underground
to point twenty rods from the path.
There, in an open space not more than
twenty feet square, with a thicket on
three sides, found the body. Decom-
position had set in, of course, and the
odor greeted my nostrils before my
eyes made the discovery.
That murder had been committed
there could be no doubt. The girl lay
on her back, her feet drawn up. her
clothing badly torn and in disorder, and
while one hand clinched a stout stick,
the other had dying clutch on a coat
button-just a match for those left on
Will Graftcn's coat. She had been
choked to death, and was horrible
sight, her eyes stood wide open, her
tongue out, and look of agony on her
bloated face. L examined the finger
nails and found blood and flesh under
them. left there as she clawed the half
idiots face and hand. On tho ground
was tobacco-boX, which he after
wards identified and boldly claimed.
A murder had been committed. and |
had discovered the murderer; but | was
not rs enthusiastic over it rs you may
have imagined. He was n son mil
lionaire, and the father would spend
his last dollar to save him. Riches
control public opinion and. in some in
stances, the verdict of juries.
After an examination lasting a quar-
ter of an hour and having carefully
gathered and preserved all possible
proofs, l set out TO bring the coroner
and a jury. had evidence enough to
warrant me in arresting Will Grafton
at once, but felt that it would be
safer to 90 slow and wait for the opin-
ion of the jury. 1t was IA matter of
two hours before the officer and his
jury arrived, and all had not yet viewed
the body when Mr.. Grafton and two
or three others arrived in an excited
state of mind and announced that Fritz,
the coachman. had been captured. and
had partially confessed to the deed.
This news was, as YOU may imagine, IA
shock TO me. | had not. in the first
place, heard that the coachman was
suspected. although he had gone of so
hurriedly. Mr.. Grafton had utterly re-
fused to point the finger of suspicion
that way during our talk in the morn
ing, but had held to the theory that
the girl had run of with some giddy
companions TO lead less respectable
career. His statement that Fritz was
probably guilty so upset me that kept
my proofs in my pocket and gave the
jury no hint. The inquest was adjourn
ed until evening, and was then re-
sumed at the house. while Fritz was
present in charge of an officer. He
had been arrested at town thirty
miles away, and attention had been
first called to him by his attempt to
commit suicide by drowning. When
charged with the murder he did not
deny it. When pressed to make II
confession he uttered groan of de-
SPAR and replied:
Maybe did. for have been crazy
for four or five days. Let me 90 and
kill myself"
When searched a few shillings in
money and pocket-knife and other
articles were found on his person. He
was free of wounds or bruises of any
sort, and no buttons were missing from
his garments. Before he was called &c
face the jury | began to grope for the
cause of his fight 1t could not be for
the murder of the girl. for he was limo
cent. 1t must be on account of in
! formation received in that foreign
|
the barn, which no one had yet examin-
ed, and there found the envelope in
tact, but the letter torn into twent y
fragments and flung on the floor.
gathered up the pieces aud pasted them
together, and then had the clew to hi:
actions. 1t was letter from his
mother in Germany and it contained
two pieces of important news. First
the mother. who was a widow. had
been robbed of her every dollar by in.
vestigatng in some wildcat speculation
on the advice of friends, and, secondly
the girl whom Fritz expected to return
home and marry in year had been
welded to another.
Fritz was made half crazy by the
news, and his sole desire seemed to be
to get out of the neighborbood as fas
as possible. The coroner, Mr.. Graf
ton. and myself held an interview with
him in private. The coroner was ar